Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim has admitted he cannot predict what to expect from his inconsistent side, stressing that the best approach is to treat each fixture as if it were the “last one.”
United travel to Brentford on Saturday seeking back-to-back Premier League victories for the first time under Amorim’s 10-month reign. The Red Devils sit 11th in the table, having eased some pressure on their Portuguese coach with a 2-1 win over Chelsea last weekend.
Speaking at his pre-match press conference, Amorim underlined the importance of urgency and momentum.
“It’s really important for us to have that sense of urgency that we need to win, no matter what,” he said.
“Every time we start preparing for the game and you watch the next opponent, you think it’s going to be really, really tough. But for me, we cannot control the result of the game. The most important thing is to start the game the way we started against Chelsea, Burnley, and Arsenal.”
United opened the season with a narrow 1-0 defeat to Arsenal, despite a strong performance, before edging Burnley 3-2. However, inconsistency has plagued the team.
“It’s normal the fans don’t know what is going to happen the next game,” Amorim admitted.
“To be completely honest, I have an idea, but I don’t know how it’s going to be – and I’m the manager of the team. The best way of dealing with that is that every game is the last one.”
The manager also praised Bryan Mbeumo, who joined United from Brentford in July and will face his former club for the first time.
“It’s really important for everything he has been doing, the light that he brings to the dressing room. He is not the guy that talks more, but you can feel it that he’s always there to help us. He runs a lot, presses a lot, he is a different threat compared to last season. I’m more than happy with Bryan.”
United will be without Amad Diallo, who has started five of the club’s six league games this season, following a family bereavement. Casemiro is suspended after his red card against Chelsea, while Lisandro Martínez and Noussair Mazraoui remain sidelined through injury.
The Brentford clash offers Amorim a chance to steady United’s campaign, but he acknowledged that fans’ uncertainty reflects the team’s unpredictable form.
“The next game is going to be the most important game for a long time for Manchester United,” he said. “So I understand the feeling of the fans, but let’s start changing that feeling by showing urgency on the pitch.”
